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POLITICO 44

President Barack Obama came closer Tuesday to declaring common cause with street protestors in Tehran who have mounted wide-scale protests against the Iranian regime in recent days, but he stopped short of a full-throated endorsement that he said could undercut the reform movement there.

“The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost,” Obama said as he opened a midday news conference in the White House briefing room.

The president pledged not to interfere “at all” in the situation in Iran, but quickly made it clear where his sympathies lie.

“We must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society,” he said. “In 2009, no iron first is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful protests of justice….Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.”

Obama highlighted the role of Iranian women in the demonstrations and made reference to a “searing image” of a female protester apparently shot by police.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said of the image, which has become a symbol of the government’s brutal crackdown against opponents. “It’s heartbreaking, and I think anybody who sees it knows there something fundamentally unjust about that.”

The president made his strongest statement to date about claims of irregularities in the June 12 election, which triggered the protests after official results showed the incumbent hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, re-elected by an overwhelming margin.

“It’s not an isolated instance, a little grumbling here or there. There is significant questions about the legitimacy of the election,” Obama said.

However, the president sidestepped questions about whether his administration would press forward with his election-season promise to engage the current Iranian government in direct negotiations, without preconditions.

“We are going to monitor and see how this plays itself out before we make any judgments about how we will proceed,” he said.

When NBC reporter Chuck Todd pressed Obama on potential consequences for the Iranian regime, the president snapped back tartly: “I know everybody here’s on a 24-hour news cycle. I’m not.”

Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), have accused Obama of failing to give a clear public endorsement to reformers and protesters in Iran.

“The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it,” Graham said Sunday. “He’s been timid and passive more than I would like.”

Obama insisted Tuesday that his latest talk on Iran was consistent with his prior comments. He also dismissed a question about whether he was recalibrating his message in response to the GOP critiques.

“Only I’m the president of the United States,” Obama said. “In the hothouse of Washington, there may be all kinds of stuff going back and forth in terms of Republican critics versus the administration. That’s not what’s relevant to the Iranian people.”

Obama offered no direct answer to several questions from Fox’s Major Garrett about whether the State Department planned to withdraw invitations to Iranian diplomats to attend July 4th festivities at U.S. embassies abroad.

Obama’s press conference came as Congressional Democrats were urging the president to take a greater public role promoting health care reform legislation. The effort, which is at a critical juncture on Capitol Hill, suffered a setback last week when the Congressional Budget Office estimated the 10-year cost of one plan considered by the Senate Finance Committee at about $1.6 trillion.

The projection stunned health reform advocates and left the White House in the lurch, since it had proposed only $948 billion in cuts and tax hikes to pay for the health care overhaul. Democratic senators have brushed aside some self-imposed deadlines as they try to adjust their proposals to lower the costs of new coverage and to raise more revenue from cuts and tax measures.

Readers' Comments (857)

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

President Obama, during today's news conference, departed from White House protocol by calling on The Huffington Post's Nico Pitney second, in between the AP and Reuters.

However, it seemed more like a choreographed moment than break with tradition, as Obama said he knew Pitney was in attendance and would probably have a question about Iran.

According to POLITICO's Carol Lee, The Huffington Post reporter was brought out of lower press by Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest and placed just inside the barricade for reporters a few minutes before the start of the press conference.

CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, a veteran White House correspondent, said over Twitter it was "very unusual that Obama called on Huffington Post second, appearing to know the issue the reporter would ask about."

Also, Congress, quit posturing on Iran before the cameras, and get back to work. Americans are frightened: of bankruptcy should a family member have a catastrophic illness, and of prescription costs that require a cut-back on groceries.

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, a veteran White House correspondent, said over Twitter it was "very unusual that Obama called on Huffington Post second, appearing to know the issue the reporter would ask about."

Who wants to shriek and beat the drum loudly at Iran, Neocons don't.? What good would that do when they continue to beat up on the people and throw out diplomats of foreign countries, repeat diplomats. Diplomacy doesn't work, so clearly the Obama bow and sweet talk doesn't work either.

Obama simply didn't stick up for the people of Iran, didn't speak out enough, or didn't allow Hillary to do some behind the scenes work with the EU, or Brits. Let's face it, Obama was in shock his nice talk didn't work, his speeches didn't work and his big ego's been bruised...... He'll probably find a way to blame somebody else for calling him weak with the Iranian issue. He's no Reagan ,who's words meant something to foreign countries when he spoke unlike Obama's.....Iand now the world see's it....

Not ticking off the Mullahs and giving the mullahs absolutely nothing to use as propoganda are two different things. The people of Iran are the only people who can truly take their destiny into their own hands. If they want it, now is the time for them to take it. Thats why I am skeptical of the Iraq situation. They didn't do it for themselves, we did it for them. So what happens if they didn't want it?

It's not the Republicans who have any influence on him. Many people on our side of the aisle also support a democratic revolution in Iran, and have said so constantly. We have no use for that Nazi regime over there, with its Supreme Fuehrer who has absolute power, Revolutionary Guards modeled after the Nazi SS, and the Basiji Militia that looks very similar to the Stormtroopers or SA. I'm sure they also have something like a Reich Security Main Office to handle all the Gestapo-type stuff. Their Supreme Leader also comes across as a very rigid, fanatical old ideologue who has had dictatorial power far too long and cannot stand any contradiction or disagreement. He has completely lost touch with reality, if he was ever in touch with it in the first place.

This should be a lesson for the Iranians never to allow such a dictator again, no matter whether he uses the title of Shah, King, Emperor or Leader. At this point, the dangers of that are obvious.

OBAMA'S PRESSER -- Chip Reid: "Were you influenced at all [on Iran] by John McCain or Lindsay Graham calling you timid and weak?" Obama fires back: "What do you think?" After laughter, he continues, saying that McCain has "genuine passion" on international issues, but: "Only I am the president of the United States, and I've got responsibilities in making certain we are continually advancing our national security interests." (1:00 p.m.)

Obama it taking exactly the right pitch. Even people like Henry Kissinger, hardly a liberal, agree. The Republican partisans are trying to goad him into a misguided intervention that will backfire and allow they hardliners to gain public support for thier crack down. They are doing this because they can't stand the thought of a Democratic president getting credit for brining peace to the middle east. The fact that people will continue to die is OK with them. It is partisanship at its most repulsive!!

Obama it taking exactly the right pitch. Even people like Henry Kissinger, hardly a liberal, agree. The Republican partisans are trying to goad him into a misguided intervention that will backfire and allow they hardliners to gain public support for thier crack down. They are doing this because they can't stand the thought of a Democratic president getting credit for brining peace to the middle east. The fact that people will continue to die is OK with them. It is partisanship at its most repulsive!!